Kindred
by Vintage Writer
Summary: Daniel and Laurie had always known that their daughter was different from a young age...they just didn't know how different she really was, and that bothered them.WiP.
1. Birth

**Don't own Watchmen...because if I did, it would have ended differently. Slightly spolerific for the film (and comic). Critiques are welcomed!****

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Kindred

_**Birth: 1986**_

"Congratulations, you're the proud parents of a healthy baby girl," the doctor tells the man and woman in the hospital room as a nurse comes in after the doctor, carrying a wrapped bundle in her arms.

The couple looks at each other, smiles spreading across their faces but anxious to see their newborn.

"We'll let you get acquainted with your baby for a bit while we prepare the papers for you to sign," the doctor says as the nurse lowered the baby down to the mother.

The woman looked dishelved from the hours of labor she endured,brown bangs plastered to her face, stray wisps plastered to the sides of her sweaty face. She brushed a stray hair away from her, smiling at the little face that peers up at her, eyes still shut; there are faint signs of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

_Just like me…_ the mother thinks to herself when she was a child.

In old photographs that her mother had kept, Laurie had freckles for a couple of years, until they faded away; it was slightly hereditary on her _mother's_ side of the family as her mother disclosed at a small surprise baby shower that was thrown for Laurie two months prior.

The older woman was delighted upon the news that her daughter had become pregnant, but Laurie was slightly less than thrilled. It was a surprise to her, but not really. A few weeks after Laurie's mother had visited her and Daniel at his brownstone, Laurie began to notice she wasn't feeling quite well in the mornings. On the very few occasions that Nite Owl and Silk Spectre made their night patrols, she would have strange cravings when they returned back to the _cave_, especially for pickles. It didn't take much for Laurie to have her suspicions aroused when she found herself puking some mornings when she rolled out of bed. The only way that she knew how she had gotten pregnant was from _that_ night.

In a way it was quite ironic, all those years spent with Jon and the one time she spends it with Daniel...but...

_What a night that was_… Laurie ruefully thought to herself, before being pulled back into reality by a gentle pull the tiny hand had on a lock of stray hair of hers. Looking down, the baby had begun to open its eyes.

"Look, she has her mother's eyes," Daniel (who was much calmer and relaxed than he had been in the last 24 hours) softly pointed out.

It was true, their daughter had also inherited her mother's eyes, but they seemed to be a bit bigger and lighter in color. Laurie began to wonder what exactly the baby had gotten from her father as she stared at her bundle of joy.

"And she's got my nose," Daniel pointed out.

"How do you know that," she joking asked her fiancé.

"Well, look at it, it's a bit pointy, but not really…" he trailed off as he slightly pushed the blanket away from the baby's forehead to get a glimpse of her hair. He became unusually quiet.

"You okay…or are you…" Laurie also trailed off back to looking at the baby.

The baby made a slight coo before closing her eyes again, drifting back to sleep.

"Your mother…she was a redhead right?" Daniel asked quietly of Laurie.

"Yes."

"Thought so," he replied, pausing momentarily "was it as…"

"Light?" Laurie finished for him, "No...why Dan?"

"Nothing…just a thought, what should we name her?"

"I don't know…just not Sally or Laurel-Jane…or Danielle for that matter."

"Hey, what's wrong with Danielle?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"I mean, she's inherited everything from her mother's side," he teasingly noted, "what do you think of that?" he now directed towards the sleeping child.

"Holly?" Laurie suggested.

The two parents continued on in similar fashion, with names ranging from Robin to Manny to Cecilia.

Ten minutes passed when Daniel retreated over to the room's window, looking out the windows, they were frosted, as well as everything else outside. Snow flurries drifted from the sky to the pavement below as Daniel's mind drifted briefly, he felt cold looking out there even if the sun was shining. Below there was discharged patient and their family escorting them out by wheel chair. The outpatient's lap was draped by an obscenely red blanket that stuck out of the drabby winter weather.

Winter sun flooding in, he suggested, "How about Rory?"

"Rory, no, Dan, no, not that, Dan. Is that even a girl's name?"

_Yes,_ he thought to himself. He did the research by checking a baby name book not long after Laurie told him she was expecting.

"I think Holly sounds like a good name doesn't it."

"Sure," Dan said, going back to Laurie's bedside masking his slight disappointment.

There was a slight knock on the door.

"Come in," Dan said. It was the nurse and a social worker that came with the papers.

"Have the parents decided a name for the child?" the nurse cheerily asked.

"Holly" "Rory" both parents said at the same time.

"Dan…what do you think you're doing, I thought we decided on Holly."

"Umm…do you guys need a minute to discuss," the nurse nervously laughed, the social worker on the other hand wasn't amused.

"I think we do," Laurie said with a smile, her eyes slightly hardened. The last time that she had done something like that she attempted to shoot Veidt, "It won't take a minute."


	2. Teething

_**Thank you for those who reviewed the first chapter I appriciate it emensely. Don't Own Watchmen though.

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Teething: 1987

"Redhair, that's a recessive gene isn't it?" the man asks Daniel.

"Yes." He says quite coldly, standing in the foyer of the Brownstone. _Wouldn't the world's smartest man know that anyway? _Daniel thinks as he keeps a close eye on his daughter. She was sitting in the play-pen in the living room, "What do you want Adrian?"

"Nothing much Daniel," Adrian says casually, as if nothing had ever happened, "I just came by to say congrats on the baby."

"That's not what you came here for," Dan says, blocking the doorframe leading into the living room.

"I'm back D- _What the hell is he doing here?_" Laurie says from behind him. She had gone out momentarily to pick up a small lunch for her and Dan from _Burgers N Bor_.

"I was just about to ask him that Laurie, just get Rory, everything _will_ be fine."

Laurie does what Dan asks her, but not before sending that bastard Adrian daggers in his direction. The two men ignore Rory's loud cries when her mother picks her up from the play-pin, but Adrian occasionally takes a side glance at Laurie rocking the baby while glaring at him and Dan. Daniel meanwhile notices Adrian twitch slightly around the creases of his eyes upon hearing the child's name.

"I'd might as well get to ze point," Adrian finally says in an odd way to Dan, purposely making the man uncomfortable, "I have a proposition for you and your…" he glances at Laurie, "wife, think auf it as a gesture of gratitude."

"For what? Keeping quiet? Letting you get away with genocide?" Dan starts hissingly, noticing Laurie covering Rory's ears.

"Daniel, please do be quiet. I came here for a proposition, not a re-hash of the past."

"As if we're going to let you live that down," Laurie says, wishing that the man would leave, or better yet, smash her fist through those ray-bans he had on.

"You might if I offer to pay for your child's education," he says point blank.

"What?"

"My gift of gratitude. As seeing that you two are the only two remnants of my past, it's the least I could do, your child deserves only the best of an education…may I?" Adrian asks Laurie, gesturing to hold Rory.

Both Dan and Laurie looked at each other wondering who exactly made Adrian saint.

"Sure," Laurie says, voice dripping with sweet contempt. Dan tries to stop her, "No, it's okay…it's perfectly okay," looking down at her daughter.

Laurie had put her daughter into a dark green onesie that day and it didn't make it any easier for her to hand Rory over to Adrian when she was squirming to get out of the outfit. Laurie learned first hand when she struggled to put the thing on that morning, Rory kept insisting on kicking off the onesie.

Both parents stood on either side of Adrian as he got a hold of the baby. They wanted to make sure he wasn't up to some funny business.

"Cute." He said, noticing that the baby had taken an interest of the leaf lapel button that was pinned to outside of his monogrammed _members' only_ jacket…something that both Laurie and Dan were surprised to know that Adrian actually owned one.

He made a funny face to which the baby almost began to show the signs of a smile, "At least somebody likes me," he said about to wiggle the tip of her nose…unfortunately he had his finger too close to her mouth and Rory proceeded to bite his finger, quite painfully.

"Sorry about that Adrian, I forgot to tell you, she's just started teething," Laurie said as he handed the baby back to her.

The man abruptly turned to leave, a town car waiting for him, but he paused before leaving the Drieburg residence, "My offer still stands…and yes you can still hate me, but remember this, I also own _The New Frontiersman_. I always have."

And with that , Adrian Veidt left Laurie, Dan and the Baby in the wake of this new revelation.


	3. Imaginairum

**Thank you so much readers for reading, and a special thanks to S-Mach for your helpful review. This may be the last chapter I'll be posting for a week or two because of finals, but don't fear, I will be back! VW. **

**Disclaimer: Watchmen belongs to it's rightful owners..."owners" not including me.**

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Imaginarium:1992

_***Spring***_

"Do you know what your daughter wanted to show you tonight?" Laurie asks Daniel as the two lay in the darkness of their bedroom.

"What's that?" He asks, half drunk with sleep.

"She wanted to show you a picture she drew of her and her imaginary friend when you came back in from work."

"That's nice," he said rolling over in bed to wrap his arms around Laurie's waist, who slightly stiffened at his touch.

"Dan…she named her imaginary friend Walt…"

_**Earlier That Evening**_

Laurie stood leaning against the dining room door frame as she watched her husband kiss Rory on the top of her forehead goodbye for the evening.

"Now be a good girl for Daddy, Okay? I don't want to hear you've pulled a gray hair out of mommy's hair again sport."

"I won't," Rory's small voice chirped cheerfully at the dinner table.

Dan comes by Laurie and plants a small albeit brief kiss on her lips before going down the hallway leading to his study.

"Be careful out there for us," Laurie tells her husband.

"I will, I love you, I won't be long…it's only a high rise fire," he tells Laurie, whispering the fire part so that Rory wouldn't hear.

Laurie hopes it won't. There aren't many opportunities for Nite Owl and Silk Spectre to make their appearances, especially for Dan. The thrill was still exhilarating when the two went out (mostly when Laurie's mother was available for babysitting duties when she was in town), but how long could the two go on? Laurie had a few more years in her, but Daniel? He would be pushing forty five soon, by-passing dear old Hollis Mason two years in the crime-fighting business. It amazed Laurie that crime still occurred after what had happened in 85".

_I guess you can't change human nature_ a small voice unconsciously drifted into her thoughts as she sat at the dinner table next to Rory.

With Daniel out of the house for a few hours on nights like these, Laurie and her daughter would make something in the kitchen (most of time it would be popcorn or peanut butter and banana sandwiches) or listen to_ DEVO _or the _B-52's_ on the home stereo system and dance around the living room. Tonight would be different.

Laurie didn't necessarily read all the parenting books that Dan insisted on buying a few years ago, she didn't like the feeling of someone telling her how she should raise her child, especially from someone who didn't have kids of their own. She had learned enough of her mother's mistakes to know better, but once in awhile (she hated to admit it) she needed some advice.

Calling her mother earlier that same day in California, the older woman suggested that the two girls could share arts and crafts time together.

"_I wouldn't mind having some pictures hanging on my fridge out here, I have to have something to brag about to the gals,"_ Sally Jupiter commented over the phone.

So that settled it, tonight would be arts and crafts night. With things at their disposal on the table, Laurie began to doodle out a flower in almost comical form, Rory on the other hand wasn't as talkative (or interested) for arts and crafts night.

She wasn't very talkative around Laurie as she was around her father some days. Laurie began to suspect that her daughter was a daddy's girl. Rory was concentrating on the paper that was in front of her, still blank and unblemished.

From the corner of Laurie's eyes, she watched as her daughter pushed up the small round frames of her glasses (she may have gotten her mother's eyes, but she apparently inherited her father's sight) before reaching for the crayons.

"Watcha drawing Rory?" Laurie asked, giving her a side hug.

"Surprise," she simply stated.

"A surprise?"

Rory nodded yes without another word.

"Oh," Laurie nodded; reaching for a blue crayon, ready to color in the flower she had doodled with a black crayon.

"It's a picture of my friend," Rory said.

"I thought it was supposed to be a surprise?"

"It's for daddy."

Laurie arched an eyebrow for a second while her daughter wasn't looking. Laurie had to remind herself that it was ridiculous for her to get jealous of trying to compete for her daughter's affections. She really didn't want to think that her daughter didn't really care for her mother…it was that or she was simply thinking irrationally, "I'm sure daddy will like it, in fact I'll put it on the fridge so he'll see it when he comes in.

Rory looked up at Laurie with a smile on her face, "Thank you mommy," she said turning to her paper and went to work.

As the two each worked on their "projects" Laurie began asking Rory questions about this new "friend" of hers, "So what do you and your friend do?"

"We play games."

"Oh, what types of games?"

"All kinds," the girl said, "Sometimes cops and robbers."

"Really," Laurie said pausing her coloring momentarily at this comment.

"Yeah, it's fun, but I don't think he likes it when I make him play the robber."

"He?"

"Yeah, Walt…" at this the little girl drops her crayon on the table, covering both of her hands after saying this. It's almost like she stopped herself from saying a bad word.

"Walt?"

"I wasn't supposed to say that," the little girl whispers.

"And why's that?" Laurie now asks turning her in her seat to face Rory.

"Walt's shy."

"Shy?"

"Yeah…but I think he's just a big scardy-cat," Rory says shrugging it off going back to her picture.

Laurie doesn't finish her picture, but she looks away from the table not sure what to do at this point.

Laurie remembers that she had a imaginary friend when she was younger, most people did, didn't they? It was just a phase her daughter was going through, a coincidence that Rory named her imaginary friend Walt, Laurie thought to herself. It shouldn't bother her should it?

"TAH-DAH," Rory said, making Laurie turn back to her daughter, who held her drawing in both hands, showing it off.

"That…that's n…nn…nice Rory," Laurie said, masking the odd feeling that had crept over her.

There were two figures in picture. One tall, the other short. The smaller one was a stick figure girl wearing a green dress with black circles around her eyes (Rory's frames), hair drawn almost like a caricature of _Mary Tyler Moore _or _That Girl!_ The main difference being the red hair. Next to her stood the taller figure, wearing a clunky brown coat with black stick figure legs, it seemed that something looking like a scarf (in Rory's perspective) was "tied" around the figure's neck.

Clearing her throat, Laurie asked her daughter a question, "um, honey, is your friend sick?"

"Why?" Rory asked, pulling the picture down from her face.

"The red dots."

"Oh, he has freckles like me."

Laurie smiled weakly, more so at the round smiling face of "Walt" and his spiky orange-red hair.


	4. Tea Party

**Disclaimer as usual. Don't Own. Intellecual/Marketing rights goes to Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and Warner Brothers._

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_Tea Party: 1992_

_***Summer***_

It may have been raining outside, but inside Rory Lillian Drieburg was busy preparing for a party. The idea came to her after it seemed that nobody wanted to play with her. Mommy was away visiting Grandma Sally at the Plaza while Daddy was locked away in his study, writing a paper.

As she continued to straighten her room, she ignored the funny smell of paint that lingered from the recent paint job from the week of before. No longer did Rory have to stare at pink walls. Her parents had painted the room a golden-rod yellow with white stripes. Rory told her parents that it would always be sunny in her room, to which they both laughed.

Now as Rory made sure her bed was made sure her guests were on their way, she had to set the table, find food and find the miniature silver tea set that Grandma Sally had gotten Rory the previous Christmas, she didn't want to disappoint her guests...

_***_

_With the sun high in the sky and blue skies of the perfect light ocean blue of the Crayola Crayon variety and cottonesque clouds drifting lazily by, the large party in the middle of the countryside meadow chattered loudly amongst themselves underneath the shade of a very large tree with very long branches. All the seats were mostly occupied by talking animals except for one empty chair. _

_At the head of the table sitting in a velvet high-backed chair sat the party's hostess, Rory. She complimented her Alice in Wonderland dress with a small crystal tiara. Rory wasn't speaking much. Instead she chose to sip quietly her tea as she eavesdropped on the various conversations her guests were having. The most intriguing one she was hearing was between Mr. Owl and Barbra Lynx._

_Mr. Owl reminded Rory of her father a bit, not only in the way he dressed (brown suits and glasses) but the way he talked, "So you're telling me that you're a better ruler over Egypt than Cleopatra?" Mr. Owl inquired of Barbra Lynx._

"_Yes darling, that's what I've been trying to prove to you the whole time."_

_Rory always wondered what Barbra Lynx's fascination with Egypt came from. The purple cat like animal always came to Rory's parties dressed in gauzy white cotton dresses with a strange thick golden necklace that went around her shoulders. Barbra's eyes were always heavily made up like Rory's mother and grandmother with too much eyeliner as her mother called it and Barbra's jet black hair never seemed out of place…once when Rory suggested that Barbra should marry Uncle Adrian, Barbra scoffed at the idea._

"Heavens no Miss. Rory, that would be quite unthinkable!"_ was Barbra's response._

_Meanwhile as Mr. Owl and Miss. Lynx continued their debate, Rory laughed at Barbie for throwing water at Ed the clown after a really bad joke. Rory wondered when Ed would take a hint and figure out that Barbie was already taken…_

"_Miss. Rory, Miss Rory!" Mr. Owl interrupted Rory's observations._

"_What is it Mr. Owl?"_

"_I think we have a visitor."_

"_A visitor?" Rory said, setting her silver tea cup on the platter before her. She immediately stood on the chair she was sitting on. She squinted her eyes and placed a hand on her forehead to block out the sun rays. _

_Mr. Owl was right, there was someone coming, someone in a bright red plane that landed in the middle of the meadow not far from the party, but far enough to not ruin the set up. Rory waited a minute before running down the slope to greet her friend. She watched as Walt struggled to hop out of the old fashioned plane and held her giggles as she watched him kick the plane out of anger. He yelled something that she couldn't hear (and maybe that was a good thing), "WALT!" Rory excitedly yelled, hopping off her chair, running towards her friend who had stopped midway, "You made it!" she said, grabbing Walt's hand._

"_What…is…this?" was the gravelly response._

_***_

"A tea party, now sit," Rory said looking up at Walt. She tried to do her best impersonation of her mother's threatening glare to get Walt to sit down. It would be moments like these that the reality of her surroundings would come back. There was no Alice in Wonderland like tea party in progress. She was still sitting in her bedroom; a small table with three chairs was pushed next to the foot of her bed. Her tea set was placed in the middle of the table while all her stuffed animals and dolls (except for Mr. Owl) were strategically placed along the edge of her bed. The only real things there (minus Walt of course) were the yellow frosted cupcakes.

"Do not want," was his reply.

"Fine party pooper," Rory said staring up at him. He was looking down at her, arms crossed, "more cupcakes for me," she said, walking back to the little table…

***

_As Rory marched back up to her party, all her guests were looking at her, noticing that their hostess wasn't in a good mood. As Rory climbed back into her seat she began to eat her cupcake, as did everyone else._

"_Mmmm, Miss. Rory, these are quite good," Mr. Owl complemented._

"_Totally," Barbie said, grabbing another cupcake._

_As Rory was about to reach for another cupcake across from her, from the corner of her eye she saw Walt begrudgingly pull the seat that was next to her towards him so he could have a seat._

_Mr. Owl gave out a hoot, surprised, "I really wish you'd stop doing that…popping out of nowhere."_

_Walt glared at Mr. Owl as he slammed down his pilot goggles on the table._

_Rory cleared her throat giving Mr. Owl a knowing glance, "Nice of you to join us Captain Walt," Rory said pouring tea for her and Walt, "How many lumps of sugar sir?"_

"_Three."_

"_Y'know, I went to the dentist yesterday and my dad said that too much sugar is bad for your teeth."_

"_What does Dani- your dad know anyway kid?" Walt said scratching his head._

"_A lot, now how many lumps of sugar?" Rory asked, not surprised to hear Walt grumble something under his breath before responding._

"_Two."_

"_What's the magic word?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Everybody," Rory asked her other guests._

"_PLEASE!" everyone except Walt exclaimed in unison._

"_Two sugar cubes __**PLEASE**__."_

"_Here you go," Rory said dumping two sugar cubes into Walt's tea._

"_Why the party?" Walt asked before taking one gulp of his tea._

"_It's a surprise."_

"_Don't like surprises."_

"_Well, you're going to like this one, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"_

***

The party came to an abrupt end when her father came into the room and told her that he was done with his work for day. He asked if she was up for seeing _Aladdin _at the movie theater. Rory didn't want to leave Walt alone so she asked if he wanted to come, but he didn't, instead he said she should enjoy the time she had with her dad before she started school in the fall…but Rory knew he'd change his mind… he always did.


	5. Red, White and Blue All Over

**Disclaimer: same as before, don't own anything.****_

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Red, White and Blue All Over: 1997

**_*Winter*_**

Walt was unusually withdrawn Rory had noticed as the two were in the backyard building a snowman.

The whole time that the two were outside, he stood shivering underneath the large icicle and snow riddled tree, occasionally glancing towards the kitchen window where Rory's parents stood at the kitchen sink, busy cleaning up the dishes from the quiet breakfast and lunch that the family had. Knowing that Walt wasn't in a talkative mood, she refrained to ask why he kept looking in that direction, a shadow slightly passing his face whenever her parents seemed to be laughing at some joke that either of them would make.

"Should've worn a coat Walt…and don't ask for mine either," Rory commented, carefully walking towards him as she began to search for accessories for her snowman.

The girl almost faded in with the snow wearing her white winter coat that she threw on the moment she awoke to the winter wonderland. The only marker of her presence was the light blue scarf she had tied around her neck, her fiery hair concealed underneath the matching snow cap with an owl embroidered in white on the side and a fuzzy tassel hanging on end. She moved about the backyard like a blue dot, her mother would be back out with the carrot that she needed for the snowman.

"Fine like this," came Walt's reply after some time, he was looking up at icicles, hand reaching up at one to break one down from the tree.

"Sure," Rory said with a roll of her eyes, not paying any attention to where she was going, her foot almost walking upon an icy patc-

"Careful Rory," a pair of hands breaking her fall, "You know it isn't very healthy to be talking to yourself…people might think you're crazy."

The ten year old girl gave a slight gasp; quickly distancing herself from her would be rescuer.

Almost as if on cue Rory heard her mother's voice yelling for her to come into the house. Her parents had rushed outside the moment Rory had faced the owner of the gloved hands, Adrian Veidt.

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From where she stood at the end of the third floor hallway, Rory could see the stretch limo on the other side of the wooden fence and the stone-still driver blocking the wooden back gate. Below her parents seemed to be talking to Uncle Adrian. Although she couldn't hear what was being said from below, from the looks on their faces, they didn't want him around, especially her father.

"You were blushing," Walt commented out of nowhere, followed by the distinct sound of crunching.

"Was not," the girl said, unwrapping her scarf as she still watched her parents below.

"Yes, could tell, shouldn't have done that."

Rory turned to face her friend who was seated on a wooden chair next to a side table that housed a framed butterfly like inkblot finger painting that Rory had made in kindergarten. For some reason beyond her, her father wanted it framed. Walt meanwhile picked up the framed painting as she popped in another sugar cube, it was the only thing he ever ate and along with baked beans as she learned when she was younger. She never saw him eat anything else, except on one occasion when he at a salad.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rory huffily replied, stuffing her hands into her pocket, heading in the direction of her bedroom.

"Goblin, but not a Goblin King," Walt said as she walked past him, her eyes widening at this statement.

"_Can't you mind your own business for once Walt…can't you just leave me alone!"_ Rory snapped. She knew what he was talking about now, and she knew it was better than to invite him to her and Kendra Long's slumber party a few weeks ago…but she really didn't invite Walt, he just showed up unannounced as he always did…which was quite a frequent occurrence, considering that when she was younger he showed up when she wanted him to…now there was no telling. As for the slumber party, he showed up un-announced ready to raid her family's kitchen the moment the two girls popped in Rory's copy of _Labyrinth_ in the VCR.

The only way that she could have known the he knew what she was talking about was if he could read her mind (she highly doubted that he could), or if he had simply overheard the two young girls as they giggled the moment the Goblin King began to sing "Magic Dance" to the other puppet like creatures and baby Toby. Rory wasn't sure who made the comment about her Uncle Adrian looking a little like the Goblin King himself, but it stuck in her subconscious mind for the past few weeks, feeling her cheeks warm a bit whenever she caught a glimpse of him on TV or on the rare billboard on which his face was plastered on her bus ride to and from school.

Rory changed her mind on going back to her room, hands still stuffed in pockets completely ignoring Walt as he watched her on the verge of pacing back and forth down the third floor corridor. Rory finally stopped when she heard the shrill voice of her mother yelling at her father. This certainly caught her attention.

Rushing to the window, Rory was not expecting what she was seeing below. He mother was holding back her father as he loomed over Uncle Adrian who somehow was sprawled out on the ground, bright red droplets of blood were speckled about the snow from where he lay.

Rory gasped in horror at what she had seen. Not knowing how to respond to the situation, the girl rushed down the flight of stairs, disobeying her parents by going outside…

***

_Rory was still young Walt thought to himself as he stood in between Laurie and Dan. If she knew any better, she wouldn't have been helping Adrian up from the snowy ground, handing him a box of tissues to stop the bleeding from his nose. There wasn't much that Walt could do…except tell her the truth…but that would have to wait when the time was right…and that time wasn't now._

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**Constructive criticisim is welcomed and next chapter will be lighter. I promise.**


	6. Interlude: Wake

_**So...it's been awhile since I last posted, but life happens. Anyhoo, I wanted to post this little interlude while I work on the next chapter (which will be longer) and once again thanks for your patience. Disclaimer applies as usual, I do not own the Watchmen property.

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**__**Interlude: Wake 1999**_

On that fateful day on Karnack, there was only one true casualty. That casualty or rather the ideal, was the enigma of one Walter Kovacks' imagination, once thought dead on that eventful night in 1975, was suddenly jolted back into existence the moment Rorschach had stepped into the shadows. It would be the only valid reason why he was so out of sync with his defenses when Adrian had attacked them all violently, Laurie included.

In those last few moments in the freezing cold, the vigilante in him accepted his fate without any comprise, regrets or remorse, it was only Walter who stepped onto the icy terrain of Karnack the moment he and Nite Owl crash landed on the icy tundra. If it anyone who was a coward that day, it was Rorschach, he who slipped from Walter's grasp the moment he deposited his findings to The New Frontiersman…Rorschach became only a façade that Walter had to don from that moment forward and only Walter who pulled off the mask that once was his face to the being that was Dr. Manhattan…someone who would no doubt atomize him into oblivion.

Rorschach never gave much thought to the idea of dying. It was an absolute truth to life, but to Walter, it frightened him. As he stood in the snow, each and every snowflake around him floated to a standstill, all charged by the very presence Manhattan. Everything in that moment seemed to be stuck in time and any movement seemed to be heightened or rather intensified by the chill and Manhattan. Walter could feel the heat radiating from Daniel not far from him standing still, not sure if the man was screaming over his screams as Manhattan lifted a blue finger towards Walter. If Rorschach didn't have any regrets, Walter certainly had one that crossed his mind the moment his body became ripped in all directions and another became formed inside Laurie…

-:-:-:-

That other life that was formed at the moment of Walter's death was that one Rory Lillian Drieburg, now aged twelve. A ginger headed girl whose life was inexplicably bound to Walter's. It had almost been two years since "Uncle" Adrian had made one of his unexpected house calls to the Drieburg residence and a year since she had let go of her childish crush on someone who wasn't attainable to her, let alone somebody who was old enough to be her father. In fact, nobody had seen or heard from the man for quite some time. Some speculated that the man may had committed suicide (although there was no record of this made public) or he had gone away on second soul search as he had done in his youth. Regardless, Walter knew that the man was alive and well somewhere on the planet, and he had a feeling that Rory knew this as well.

At the moment, Rory was curled up at her window, hair in two low pony-tails, a brown blanket draped over her shoulders as she intently read a chapter out of the volume of _Sherlock Holmes_ stories she begged her parents for Christmas the year before. After being bored of the _Nancy Drew_, _Hardy Boys_ and _Harriet the Spy_, the twelve year old moved onto Holmes on a whim from the suggestion of her school librarian. Walter knew that her parents were keeping an eye on Rory's budding interest in detective work. He knew that it hit close to home for the two and him. It was only the question of when she would put her new found interest into action…especially when it came to the off limit area of the basement…but for now, she was content in reading her book.

Walter (as Rory insisted on calling him now) meanwhile had nowhere to go as he was lying wide awake, ram-rod straight on Rory's neatly mad bed, resting in the calm silence of her room. Sleep never came easy for him when he was alive and he wasn't sure if it was any easier for him now in whatever state he was in now. One thing was certainly clear, the girl was the only person who could see or hear him. He could travel outside the confines of the girl's life but there was absolutely nothing for him to do except to roam the streets like a ghost. Occasionally he wouldn't see his own reflection if he roamed the streets at any given point of the day. Instead he would see Rorschach and his un-nerving swirling ink-blots. On these days when he saw that face, there was no telling where he would wake whenever he came out his "sleep" or how old Rory would be when he came back to her. It was just one of those curious things that happened to him nowadays…he was just happy he hadn't gone out on this day.


End file.
